The Mitsubishi airbag settlement claim period has closed: the deadline to file was May 23, 2026. The $8.5 million class action deal, which received final court approval on April 22, 2025, offered eligible current and former owners or lessees of certain Mitsubishi vehicles up to $250 per covered car, subject to pro rata adjustment, plus access to a 10-year vehicle inspection program that is still in effect.1ACU Settlement. Mitsubishi Settlement Key Dates
Which Mitsubishi Vehicles Were Covered
Eligibility turned on whether you owned or leased one of a short list of models as of November 1, 2024, and whether the vehicle was originally sold or leased in the United States or its territories. Both current and former owners or lessees qualified, and the claims administrator confirmed eligibility by vehicle identification number.2ACU Settlement. Mitsubishi Airbag Control Unit Settlement
The covered models are:
- 2013–2017 Mitsubishi Lancer
- 2013–2015 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
- 2013–2015 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart
- 2013–2016 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback
- 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander
Other Mitsubishi models, and model years outside these ranges, were not part of the class. Owners of Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, Honda, or Fiat Chrysler/Stellantis vehicles that used the same ZF-TRW airbag control units are covered, if at all, by separate settlements in the same multidistrict litigation, not by this one.
What Claimants Can Receive
Mitsubishi funded an $8.5 million settlement pool. Each valid claim is worth up to $250 per covered vehicle, with the actual payment subject to pro rata adjustment based on the total number of claims filed and after attorneys’ fees, costs, service awards, and administration expenses are deducted from the fund.3ClassAction.org. $8.5 Million Mitsubishi Settlement Resolves Airbag Defect Litigation
When more than one person filed a claim on the same vehicle, the allocation is split. The original purchaser who bought the car new receives 60% of that vehicle’s share, and the remaining 40% is divided evenly among the other valid claimants for that VIN.4PR Newswire. Cash Payments and Other Benefits Are Available for Eligible Current and Former Owners and Lessees of Certain Mitsubishi Vehicles
If money is left in the fund after the first round of payments, the settlement allows a second distribution of up to $750 per claimant, provided it is economically feasible. If a second round is not practical, remaining funds go to charitable causes through a cy pres distribution approved by the court.5ACU Settlement. Mitsubishi Settlement FAQ
Claimants were able to select payment by virtual debit card, PayPal, Venmo, or paper check. Paper check was the default for anyone who did not pick an electronic option.6ClassAction.org. Mitsubishi Airbag Control Unit Litigation Claim Form
The 10-Year Inspection Program
Beyond cash, Mitsubishi agreed to run a vehicle inspection program for 10 years from the date of preliminary approval, which was November 1, 2024. The program applies when Mitsubishi receives notice that a class vehicle was in a frontal collision where the airbags, seatbelt pretensioners, or airbag control unit failed to deploy, and someone was seriously injured or killed, or there was property damage.7CarComplaints.com. Mitsubishi Airbag Control Unit Settlement Reached The settlement documents reviewed do not spell out the exact request procedure or the specific remedies if a defect is confirmed; owners in that situation should contact the claims administrator directly.
This inspection benefit is tied to the vehicle and the covered incident, not to filing a cash claim, so it remains available to class members even now that the money claim deadline has closed.
What the Lawsuit Alleged
The claims resolved by this settlement focused on airbag control units supplied by ZF-TRW. Inside each unit is an application-specific integrated circuit, or ASIC, that detects a crash and signals the airbags to deploy. Plaintiffs alleged the ASIC was vulnerable to electrical overstress: in a severe collision, damaged wiring could send a surge into the control unit that overwhelmed the chip before it could fire the airbags or seatbelt pretensioners.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an engineering analysis in 2019 covering roughly 12.3 million vehicles across six manufacturers that used ZF-TRW control units from model years 2010 through 2019, and closed the investigation on September 19, 2024.8NHTSA. EA19-001 Investigation Summary Across all six automakers, NHTSA documented 8 fatalities and 14 injuries linked to electrical overstress events.9Business CCH. EA19-001 Investigation Closing Document NHTSA’s review found no confirmed electrical overstress failures in Mitsubishi vehicles specifically.10Center for Auto Safety. Vehicle Safety Check – 2013 Mitsubishi Lancer Mitsubishi denied the allegations, and the settlement resolves the case without any admission of liability.
When Payments Will Be Distributed
If you filed a claim before the May 23, 2026 cutoff, payment timing depends on when the administrator finishes calculating each claimant’s share. The administrator will run that calculation after the claim period closes and process distributions after it is complete. As of mid-2026, payments had not yet gone out.5ACU Settlement. Mitsubishi Settlement FAQ
Because the per-claim amount depends on how many valid claims came in, final payment figures will not be known until the administrator completes that review. The $250 figure is a ceiling, not a guarantee.
Where to Get Help
Questions about a filed claim, the inspection program, or payment status go to JND Legal Administration, the court-appointed claims administrator:11ACU Settlement. Mitsubishi Settlement Contact Information
- Phone: 1-855-680-6395
- Email: info@ACUSettlement.com
- Website: ACUSettlement.com/mitsubishi
- Mail: Mitsubishi Airbag Control Unit Settlement, c/o JND Legal Administration, PO Box 91000, Seattle, WA 98111